Liane took a few steps toward the oracle, but her legs were too weak to carry her, and she stumbled over her own feet, colliding with Erich once more.
She was already mortified by her own weakness, but what was worse, Erich scooped her up into his arms.
“If the oracle says we go north, then I suggest we do that. You won’t be safe in Neolyra. The church won’t stop chasing you.”
The oracle handed Liane the sword, which she laid across her lap. When it came in contact with her, it glowed, acting like a beacon to anyone nearby to spot them, and she had to put fabric between her and it to prevent it from giving them away.
“Prophecy is never straightforward, but many fragments of shattered pottery. You can put the pieces together and still not see the original vase. Trust the Divine Twin’s wisdom, and you will find the way it must be done.” The oracle looked at them both.
Liane felt a premonition prickle down her spine at the oracle’s words. And Liane turned her gaze to Erich. She wouldn’t ask him to stay. But if he chose her, she knew she’d feel more confident with him beside her.
“Let’s get out of enemy territory before we start untangling ancient mysteries,” Erich grumbled.
He was right; there wasn’t time to discuss it then. An alarm bell rang, and guards shouted nearby. They needed to escape the ruins.
They retraced their steps and reached the perimeter unseen. Erich carried her the whole way, showing no signs of strain or fatigue, though she knew he must be exhausted after his transformation. She was impressed by his ability to run and carry her despite it. As equally impressed as she was with the oracle keeping pace with them.
They arrived at the original rendezvous location. The shouts had died down, and they waited with bated breath for Fritz to rejoin them. There was still no sign of Ludwig and Luzie, and Liane would soon be faced with the decision to either wait for them, or leave them behind. The thought made her stomach churn. She’d never been without one of them by her side.
But the night was fading into dawn, and they’d be exposed if they tried to escape by daylight.
Nearby, brush rustled, and Erich set Liane down so she could lean on the oracle as he drew a dagger from his waistband and approached the interloper.
A figure stumbled out. It took a moment for her to recognize the woman in the dark, with her face splattered in mud and her dress torn, but it was Luzie, her face streaked with tears as she rushed toward them. Liane pushed past Erich to embrace her. Luzie fell into Liane’s arms, sobbing and muttering something unintelligible against Liane’s shoulder. As relieved as she was to see her friend alive, Luzie finding them alone and without Ludwig made her blood run cold. Ludwig hadn’t made it out.
“Luzie, what’s wrong? Where’s Ludwig?” Liane asked.
“Liane, you have to?—”
And then her words were cut off by an arrow whizzing past. It went toward Erich, and he pivoted to avoid it a second too late, and a line of blood dripped down his cheek. The wound didn’t last, as it healed over as soon as it appeared. Someone shot a second arrow, and Erich launched himself at Liane and Luzie, forcing them to hit the ground. It sailed over them and through the oracle’s throat. She didn’t seem surprised, and her expression was serene as she collapsed onto the ground.
Liane cried out something unintelligible.
Luzie grabbed Liane’s arm. “Liane. Run. They forced me to bring them to you. They told me they had Ludwig and if I didn’t comply, they’d kill him.” Luzie sobbed.
Erich yanked them both to their feet, and they ran, but a wall of mounted Midnight Guards blocked their escape. They couldn’t run, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t fight. The sword had come to her for a reason. The oracle had told her as much. Even though she was untrained, Liane knew she had to face them. They wouldn’t hurt her, because the Avatheos wanted her back. Liane stepped in front of her friends, brandishing her sword. Its power blazed against her palm, flickering like a flame.
“Stand back,” Liane shouted.
They pulled back on the reins of their horses, hesitating for a moment. A few made the sign of the star against their brows.
“It is the real avatar. Capture her!” the captain shouted, and the guards rushed her.
Erich pushed Liane behind him, claws out as he slashed at the flank of the nearest guard’s horse. It reared back, throwing the guard from the saddle. Then another came up behind them, swinging to take Erich’s head. He ducked under the sweep of their blade, and then he swiped at them, missing by an inch as they rode past.
Another guard was racing toward Liane, hand out to grab her. She raised her sword with shaking arms, and he looped away from her, before circling back, black sword drawn. Their swords crossed, and the blow of his strike flung Liane backward.
Erich was surrounded by four mounted guards, and they’d tossed a net over him. He threw his head back and roared, struggling to free himself from the net. Then they dismounted, and while one held him down, another pressed a stone against Erich. She tried to get up, but her body refused to listen. She felt as weak as a newborn and couldn’t have raised her sword from the ground if she wanted to. All she could do was watch as two guards grabbed hold of Luzie, forcing her and Erich to their knees in front of Liane. She grasped onto the hilt of her sword, mustering the courage to fight, even as her vision swam. She climbed to her feet, swaying. Then they grabbed her, pinning her hands behind her back.
She tried to fight against them, but it was like dragging her limbs through mud.
“Come with us quietly, your divinity, and we’ll spare your maid.”
Luzie bowed her head, tears streaming down her face, while Erich thrashed against them, caught somewhere between man and wild beast. Then one of the guards kneed him in the back and ground his face into the dirt.
“Leave them both,” Liane shouted. “I’ll work with you, but only if you spare them.”
The guard with a knee in Erich’s back pressed the tip of his blade against the back of his neck. The man behind Luzie had a dagger to her throat.
